Sibierski

Feels monumental early on in season this game. Fo me I don’t think we’ve played well all season so far, in terms of being dangerous with the ball. Been solid defensively for vast majority, but ok at best with ball. Like our play with the ball feels proper stodgy and after the press, we have little ideas. Set pieces are proper smelly too. Bournemouth and their play always super hard, especially when our midfield looks physically done already. If we roll out with same defence and midfield, we deserve to be pumped 3+ If we win with a performance, that will do our season a massive injection early on as the summer malaise is still hanging over the club IMO.

Barnes will have his contribution this season, but first few games just reinforces my belief he’s a player we need to look to move on next summer. Helped us (and will again this season) to be a top 8 regular, but to move on we need more from our wide players in general play.

Joelinton biggest issue for me was in first half we popped the ball through midfield and it ended with Joelinton as their defence pressed high on half way line, Gordon / Barnes / Elanga all in stance ready to run through and Joelinton just fucked it. Had the space and he killed the attack. Stuff that won’t come up on no data thing, but a player with better quality on ball and that vision, plays a ball into 30 yards of space and we potentially have a very high xg chance.

Guy thought he would be putting them on a plate for Isak, every minute he’s played it’s been for Gordon, Osula or no-one up front. Get him playing with a striker for a period.

Our goal came from him dropping deep to link with Bruno, who then played it outwide to Murphy into space. Cross then has no CBs and Gordon scores. Should’ve been starting with Gordon LW and when we were on it first half could’ve had a better chance of capitalising then play to hold on in 2nd half. Was a mistake to not play him and it can be ok to criticise Howe and still back him and it not be deemed “Howe needs sacking”.

When he was LW though, he plays the ball forward a lot more with purpose, or can dribble inside and move it to the right. Stuff that Barnes doesn’t do. So even if Gordon is not on it on LW, he still does more that helps us overall. The Bruno effort that came from the Wolt flick, I’m sure that was an example of Gordon fizzing that ball into Wolte?

Still strange he can’t feature, especially when Botman is coming on ahead for Trippier Said in match thread it feels like 23/24 all over again for Hall. Clearly a talent that should be starting, but defence won’t be proactively broken up as Eddie never does that. To then start against Bournemouth away and be off the pace, would be identical to 23/24 I do feel after nights like last night, Hall - Botman - Thaiw - Tino are the fresher defence long term that’s got the pace and ability and will be our strongest. But the current 4 are the tried and trusted group where they can be on it, but are starting to show vulnerability more often now.

We badly need a Pedri or Fermin type player in our side. Every side at top end has that player, we don’t.

Fear for weekend. Could be a proper humbling 3-0 as midfield and defence are leggy, and Howe will be stubborn.

Bit deflating, but that’s a side thats SF at worse and we wasn’t that far off. Need to improve quality on ball still and we can do well. Need Wissa / Ramsey badly.

No stupid foul here please.

We’ve not been clever at all here since we got the goal. Silly fouls and then doing stuff like playing it short.

WTF. Why we playing it short

Scruffy finish that sums up Gordon

Too easy those passes behind our midfield.

Botman Hall back to 23/24 season stuff ffs.

The one thing that gives me jitters tonight is the players we signed we all knew were an extension of our current style from previous seasons, and tonight has once again shown at this upper level, you can’t just run hard. Got to be better with ball and we have so few players of that ability.

Tonight should also realise to Howe that Burn / Joelinton / Trippier whilst are heros of past season, shouldn’t be protected names anymore. Hall / Botman and any other CM are all better with the ball.

Get Bruno off and rest him for weekend now. Game is done. Not changing it up at HT was the killer IMO.

Maybe we should’ve took him on loan that everyone turned their noses up at.

Elanga hard done by.

Hall should be coming on with this lot.

Woltemade had two energy shots this half before coming on Going to shit himself after one sprint.

Joelinton again losing another battle.

Thaiw, Hall, Willock, Woltemade all on right now.